L'nika Grey
Lonika was always considered a failure by her family. An only child, her parents spent much of their time attempting to guide her into a career in the family business. Her father, a high ranking individual in the Conaren organization, was determined to have his pride and joy follow his lead. Much to their horror, her interests were dominated by legitimacy; she showed no interest in trading of any sort (or racketeering, as the case may be), driven instead by a different dream. Medicine. At the age of ten, her first level biology class fired something within her. By the end of the school term she'd already begun reading the next term's book. By the time she entered the equivalent of Terran high school she was reading at a collegic level and working part time as an assistant to one of the town's physicians. Praised for her deft fingers and quick mind, she shot down any lingering hopes for a future as a Trader by applying to the Fen Dahl Medical School on her homeworld of Rigel VII. It wasn't to be, however. Her father, angered by her refusal to join the family business, pulled strings within the Conaren Cartel and had her application shredded. The resultant family screaming match nearly tore the family apart and alienated Lonika, now calling herself L'nika Grey, from all but her mother. A rival in the Narien Cartel, sensing the opportunity to rub salt in the open wounds of a competitor, graciously (and with great ceremony to deepen the pain) offered to sponsor her to the Starfleet Academy. She lept at the chance and didn't look back. She left Rigel VII with the clothes on her back, the meager savings she'd tucked away and a promise to her mother to write as often as she could. The instructors at the Academy saw the potentials within her, shifting her into progressively harder and steeper studies. With only a handful of friends, the lion's share of her time went to her coursework and research; she graduated the Academy at the age of twenty two and was recommended immediately into the medical college. She graduated three and a half years later, taking maxima cum laude honors. An ill-timed visit to her mother had created enough strife that she just missed the mark of a perfect GPA. She's flatly refused to discuss the visit with anyone, though it is known that there was an altercation of some sort with her father that resulted in her being formally disowned. Her first posting was the the USS Potemkin NCC-1657-E, and for the first two years was unremarkable. Mid-way through the third year she got into a scuffle with a newly posted hydroponics tech that landed her in the brig and the tech in Sickbay. Bystanders reported that a discussion between the two erupted into a shoving match with heated words exchanged. L'nika had turned to leave when the tech made a final shove and a comment about her probably being 'a crook just like her father'. The resulting beatdown left the tech with three broken ribs and a dislocated elbow. After quiet deliberations from (and with) the command staff, her request to transfer to the USS Lexington was granted. The incident remains the sole blemish of her career. Her tour aboard the Lexington lasted three years. Her skills as a surgeon proved to be invaluable on numerous occasions, particularly during the cleanup in the wake of the Kensal earthquake and the near destruction of the USS Hood NCC-1709-D from a warp field collapse. When the USS Heisenberg was pulled out of moth balls, she saw an opportunity to take the next step in her career. Her application for Heisenberg's CMO was sent in less than a week of the posting being opened up; the medical chief of the Hood attached his personal recommendation as well. She was lost with all hands when the Heisenberg disappeared in its inaugural launch. Physical Appearance Standing 1.524m tall and weighing an even 52kg, L'nika's mid-back length black hair is worn in a regulation-meeting braid, her skin color a medium forest green. She proudly wears the green yoke of Medical Sciences, though her taste in off-duty clothes tends to be in dusty reds and browns. She has an easy smile and is relatively social, though she tends to keep personal details very close. Quirks L'nika has a passion for weaponry that stood out as peculiar among her peers in the medical college. She's particularly fond of slugthrowers; when asked why she'll usually quip something to the effect of 'sometimes the cure needs to be more direct'. While in the Academy, she was introduced to late 20thearly 21st century music. She has an iRod containing a substantial library of music. L'nika has a tendency to curse softly under her breath when under pressure; they range from simple epithets in Standard to complex criticisms of parentage in Klingon. Having been raised in a cartel family, she was exposed to various forms of profanity as she grew up and can be quite creative in its use.